MISSIONARY WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1939, Page 8

MISSIONARY WORK

EXPERIENCES IN INDIA. AN INTERESTING ADDRESS. A very interesting address on missionary work in India was given yesterday afternoon in the St. Matthew's Collegiate School Assembly Hall by Miss C. Meredith, of Dublin, a missionary at the Anglican Church Mission Society. Punjab, India, to the representatives of Bible classes throughout New Zealand who are attending the annual Dominion camp of the Anglican Girls’ Bible Class Union which is being held at the College. “The- present ideal of missionary work in India is partnership with the younger churches in Indo-China, which do the work of preaching, the Mission Society’s workers going over to give a helping hand,” stated Miss Meredith. At a school in Narowal. in the Punjab, Miss Meredith stated, her pupils' were mostly Christian girls, there being a few non-Christian ones. The majority were poor villagers, in fact so poor that the fees, which included full board and tuition, were on a sliding scale from 7s Cd a month down to a few shillings, according to the ability to pay. There were some who could not pay, but the general idea was for some payment to be made. At a service there last Christmas, a wonderful pageant was held. There were some three thousand worshippers, some of whom had walked 15 miles to attend. It was a wonderful sight to see a church, a huge courtyard and the roof of the cloisters packed with people carrying banners. Ai. amplifying system enabled all to hear an inspiring service. People did not realise that 90 per cent of the natives lived in villages as visitors to India usually only visited the main centres. The percentage of illiteracy was terribly high. During the last summer holidays " a large number of children promised to teach an illiterate relative to read. Students from the Universities were playing their part in the work. The custom when a death 'occurred was for friends to go and sit in silence with the bereaved person, as a sign of sympathy. A missionary who was about to leave for London was approached by an old woman who said: “When you go over, be sure and tell Queen Mary how sorry I am and sit with her for a while” (referring to the death of King George V.)

There was a certain amount of disaffection at the present time, principally between the Hindus and the Mohammedans, said Miss Meredith. Despite the terrible poverty of the country there was also the better side to be in the hill country. The climate in the Punjab was very hot, but in the winter frosts ‘were experienced. The pastures generally were poor, and the quality of the stock very poor.